Preventative Health Care

Vaccinations

Vaccinations are a very important part of preventative health care for your pet. Once you are a client of ours, you will receive automatic reminders when your pet’s annual health care checks and vaccinations are due. This takes all of the worry out of remembering dates and ensures your pet is always up to date.

How do vaccines actually work?

A vaccine is a substance containing a small amount of killed/altered virus or bacteria that is injected under the skin. The vaccine stimulates an immune response but does not cause any disease. The immune system then produces antibodies which provide protection from the real virus/bacteria.

Most animals show no ill effects from vaccinations but a small number of animals may have a response to the vaccination. This can include lethargy, and some animals may have a fever. This is often short lived (24 – 48 hours). If you are concerned after this time you should contact us for advice.

Senior Health Care

Did you know that if your pet is over 7 years old they are called seniors?

Our pets age at a much faster rate than us humans and this means that regular check ups are key to longevity and good health.

At The Lake Veterinary Hospitals we recommend our senior pets (those over the age of seven years) receive regular check ups every six months.

Dental Care

Dentistry for your pet has become a very important part of preventative health care. Often this can be overlooked as our pets can’t tell us that they have a sore tooth and most of the time they don’t show many outward signs of dental disease. Examination is the key to determining whether treatment is needed.

Our team of vets and nurses can create a dental care program for your pet to ensure concerns are dealt with early and maintained healthy gums and teeth.

Weight Control Programs

Our team of vets and nurses can help your pet lose weight. We have a program of tailored dietary management, exercise programs and regular weight checks.

Heartworm Prevention

Heartworm disease is very common in our pets especially in coastal areas. It is spread via mosquitoes, meaning your pet doesn’t have to come into contact with an infected animal. It is a very easy disease to prevent.

We recommend an annual heartworm prevention injection. Please call us for advice on what is the best option for your pet.

Tick Prevention

Ticks are a small parasite that burrows into the skin of our pets. In our area the most common types are the Paralysis Tick and Bush Tick. The toxin from the Paralysis Tick can be fatal to our pets, while the Bush Tick usually only causes minor discomfort.

To prevent ticks we recommend using Nexgard monthly for dogs and Frontera spray every 3 weeks for cats. Tick collars can be used adjunctively. No prevention is 100% and daily checking of your pet is essential.

Intestinal Worming

Hookworm, Whipworm, Tapeworm and Roundworm are the four types of intestinal worms your pet can contract. These are easily contracted from the environment and may in some circumstances be passed onto us humans.

Regular intestinal worming is vital and we recommend the following worm protocol:

• Puppies and kittens 2 – 12 weeks of age: worm every 2 weeks
• Pets 12 weeks – 6 months of age: worm every 4 weeks
• Pets over 6 months of age: worm every 3 months for life.

Please ask us for advice on worming products.